Infographic Explainer Videos: An Overview
When you’ve got so much information and too little time, infographic explainer videos are your best friend. Derived from their static graphic design originated relative, they visually depict information within an explainer video. Infographic explainer videos are usually a more engaging way of presenting data than with simple text or even a static infographic. This has several benefits but before we cover those…
What kinds of content work well within an infographic explainer video?
This is by no means a definitive list but generally speaking the following categories form the bulk of the ‘info’ within an infographic explainer video.
Graphs and other types of data visualizations
Statistics
Timelines
Comparison tables
Maps
Lists
We will see what these look like in the examples later in the blog.
What’s the point of infographic explainer videos?
Explainer videos have several benefits. Infographic explainer videos build upon those benefits by delivering facts, figures, stats, etc. in a more engaging and comprehensible manner than a report or a PowerPoint presentation would. Infographic explainer videos make both your data and your pitch sing and dance. Here’s why.
They make boring information more engaging
Data doesn’t get everyone excited. Some people switch off when they hear the first mention of a percentage. And then there’s the information that’s so boring not even the people that care about it want to hear it. But when you use colorful animation and a good voice-over to depict even the blandest of info, you earn the eyeballs necessary to make your sales message effective.
They can help prevent information overload
In our online world of skim reading and infinite distractions if you put a graph, a bunch of statistics, and several paragraphs explaining it all down on a webpage that can feel like far too much for the busy person to pay attention to. Infographic explainer videos leave no excuse. They deliver only the essential information to give the best chances of being heard and understood.
They’re sharable
Since they’re more engaging and the information is bite-sized and easier to digest, showing your friend or co-worker is much more inviting. You’re less likely to ask your peer to just quickly look at a report than ask them for 90 seconds to watch a quick video. Videos are just easier to engage with. They easily find their way into emails, social feeds, and group chats meaning they’re much easier to ask others to share and engage with.
They boost SEO
As it is, explainer videos are great for your SEO. And when you create an engaging and informative video around information that people want to hear, their shareability and watchability complement each other giving Google (via YouTube) exactly what it wants.
5 things to remember when creating infographic explainer videos
There’s no playbook for creating an infographic explainer video but if you keep the following guidelines in mind you’ll certainly help avoid some of the big errors that can be made when making infographic explainer videos.
Adhere to the basics of graphic design
Behind every poster, magazine, bottle design, etc. is a skilled graphic designer who has the basic principles ingrained in their psyche. Designing an infographic, be that static or animated, is no different. Good graphic design is an art in itself that takes years to master so make sure you work with a good graphic designer, and/or an animator that’s fully clued up on the graphic design basics.
Go easy on the text
The whole point of a good infographic explainer video is that you’re not using paragraphs of text to communicate. But if you throw in too many annotations and chunks of copy, forcing people to read, you’ll defeat the purpose of creating a video. This may cause your audience to get bored or ignore your messaging altogether. So wherever possible, minimize the text and communicate visually.
Don’t get too fancy and complex
Animated videos can incorporate some beautiful and intricate visuals. The kind that makes your jaw drop. Stuff like this.
Really fancy animation and infographics can be hard to blend. Infographics need to be clean and simple. They need to be clear over fancy. You can’t let fanciness get in the way of communicating your data. Diagrams and illustrations are two quite different things. Whilst there will be plenty of exceptions to this rule – no doubt one or two gifted animators are out there specializing in ‘fancy’ explainer video infographics – it’s usually going to be more trouble than it’s worth making something fancy and complex.
But don’t be too basic either
Just make sure you don’t stray too far from the fancy/complex end of the animation spectrum. You’re making an explainer video infographic because they look good. And they’re great at making otherwise mundane information look good and communicate more effectively. But if you simplify things too much you’ll suck all fun out and essentially end up with an animated PowerPoint presentation.
What’s the message behind the data?
Don’t just bombard your audience with stats. Make sure that the info in the infographic is part of a wider, more significant story. Stats and data should always be backing up a point you’re making.
Here are some of the best infographic explainer videos
Piriton
This has a simple easy to watch animation style. However, the style is also full of life and character. The scenes easily flow into each other and the stats are easy to read. The illustrations are equally well executed with things like the characters and the little wildlife illustrations reinforcing the message beautifully.
Walmart
What a great example of visualizing data to both outline the problem and hook the audience’s attention. The design is big, simple, bold, and hard to ignore. Especially when paired with a message that everyone can empathize with: national unemployment.
Petabyte infographic
This brilliant example of clearly and explicitly using pictures to make information idiot proof. A lazier video would’ve just defined a Petabyte using the V.O. But this video makes the concept so easy to understand, that it could be explained to a five-year-old.
Omega Pharma
Although there’s a bucket of stats and information delivered here, it’s woven into the video’s message with such care that you don’t feel bombarded with information. The info serves as the factual punctuation that this video needs to back up its claims and its sales pitch.
99 Designs
Brutal simplicity and clarity that is a must in so much modern graphic design is exemplified by both the Bauhaus movement and this brilliant explainer video infographic. In around 30 seconds it explains what Bauhaus is and teases us into exploring it further on the 99 designs website.
NFL
It helps if the information you need to communicate is kinda fun. Pretty much every stat in this NFL infographic has this advantage. When you hear about JJ Watt’s various attributes and achievements they make your jaw hit the floor.
However, complementing them is an equally solid set of graphics and animations, hammering the stats home. From the bench-pressing character to food illustrations, no impressive fact is dropped without an equally bold visual to send it home.
Final thoughts
At Bullseye, we love data. Voice of customer data, market data, sales stats. Anything that gives truth and weight to your message is the secret sauce we like to work with. It gives the scripts we write that extra bit of oomph and helps you get the conversions you’re looking for.
If you’re ready to make an explainer video that persuades and sells your product and doesn’t just look good, then click below to book a discovery call with me, Bullseye Motion’s creative director.
P.S. all comments and feedback on this blog are appreciated! If there’s any way you think it could be improved, then feel free to shout and I’ll see if I can work them into a redraft. Xx
